Gas-engine.



N0. 62-8,|2v2. l Patented .luly 4, |899.

W. S. SHARPNECK.

S- ENGINE. (.lLpp1ix.m.iQn` led Aug. 11, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l,

SQ R

No. 623,122. Patented July 4, |899. W.'S. SHARPNECK.

GA'SWENGINL (Application filed Aug. 11, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 No Model.)

UNITED l'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. SHARPNECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO JOI-IN D. ROSS. AND EVERETT W. BROOKS, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters atent No. 628,122, dated July 4, 1899.

Application iiled August l l, 1898. Serial No. 688,381. (No model.)

.To @ZZ t/hom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM S. SHARPNEGK,Y

a .citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi-V nois, have invented a certain new and usefulv peculiar construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described and then definitely claimed at the endhereof..

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of an engine constructed according to my improvement,partlyin section. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same also, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Figs. 4, 5,and 6 are transverse sections of the cylinder and piston in different positions.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by numerals,1 indicates the base or frame of the machine, provided with a pillow-block 2, in which is mounted the shaft 3, having a crank 4 whose wrist-pin 5 is set at an angle, as shown in Fig. 2. This wrist-pin is provided with two fixed collars 6, between which works the collar 7, to which is connected the pitman 8 by bolts which snugly fit holes in the forked end of the pitman; or the bolts may be screwed fast in the pitm'an and their ends snugly fit .in holes in the collar, either of which would be an equivalent for the other,

the object being to allow of the forked end of the pitman being capable of moving slightly on the collar and yet have no lost motion. The other end of the pitman is connected to the piston 9 by a link 10, which piston travels in the cylinder 11, having an inlet 12 for the gas and air and two exhaust-ports 13 13', provided With a valve 14, by which either one of the exhaust-ports may be cut off from connection with the cylinder.v

At 15 is shown a cylindrical block or filler secured centrally in the axis ofthe cylinder by the cap 16, which is bolted to the cylinder, as shown. Through this filler runs one part of theelectric conductor 17, which is properly insulated by the covering 18 and terminates in a spiral spring 19, whose outer extremity is bent, so as to be parallel with the axis of the cylinder.

The piston 9 has a diaphragm 20, in which is secured, by screwing or otherwise, a chiselpoint contact-piece 21, which when the piston is put in motion comes in contact with the end of the spring 19, thus making an electrical connection, which is broken as the parts separate, when the piston moves past the center and an electric spark is produced.

The operation is as follows: Supposing the engine is started to run in the direction of the arrow, that the valve 14 is set to close port 13' and open port 13, and that the eX- plo'sion has taken place, driving the piston and shaft in the proper direction until the exhaust-port 22 of the piston comes in line with the exhaust-port 13 of the cylinder,y as shown in Fig. 4, when the burned charge is exhausted and the pressure brought down to the atmosphere. As the piston continues its travel the exhaust-port is immediately closed and a vacuum isformed which will draw in the charge of air and gas when the port 22 arrives in line with inlet 12 (see Fig. 5) and the engine is passing over the center. As the piston starts back the charge is being compressed and as the piston is turned by the peculiar action of the crank the port 22 passes Vover the port 13, which being closed the `charge does not escape, but is still held and compressed. As the piston continues its motion the contacts touch, thus making the circuit complete, and as the crank passes over the center the connection is broken and a spark formed, which makes the explosion, when the operation above described is repeated. Supposing the engine is wanted to run in the opposite direction, the valve 14 is set so as to close port 13 and open 13', as shown in Fig. 6. The engine will now run in the opposite direction, because the port 22 will pass over the closed port 13 as the charge is being carried toward the ignition-point and does not pass over the open port 13 until after said charge has been exploded.

From the above and an inspection of the drawings it will be seen that I have invented a gas-engine that will be found to be very simple and consequently cheaply built, that there are but few parts and thus not likely to become disarranged, and that notwithstanding its simplicity it may be readily reversed. In addition to these good features it may be stated that the engine is self-governing, which is accomplished by making the exhaust-ports of a size corresponding to the speed the engine is to be run, for if they are small the engine will not run so fast as if large, for the reason that if they are small and the engine spceded up the exhaust is not brought down to atmospheric pressure, because the port in the piston travels so quickly that the exhaust has not time to get out entirely, and of course this small pressure remaining prevents just that much vacuum being formed, less charge taken into the cylinder, and a lighter explosion, which consequently brings the speed of the engine down to where it will admit of the proper vacuum being formed.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown, as it may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. In practice the cylinder should be surrounded by a water-jacket; but as this forms no part of my invention it has not been shown.

What I claim as new isl. The combination in an engine of a cylinder, a piston impelled by the direct action of the motive fluid, a crank having its wristpin set obliquely to the axis of the shaft, and a connection for transmitting the power from the piston to the crank, substantially as described.v

2. The combination in an engine, of a cylinder, a piston working therein arranged to be impelled by the direct force of the motive iiu'id, a shaft, a bearing-surface on said shaft set eccentrically and at an angle to the axis thereof, a collar on said bearing-surface, andv a connection between the collar and. the piston transmitting power from the piston to the crank, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination in an engine, of a hollow pistou, arranged to be acted on directly by the impelling iiuid and having an inletport, a cylinder therefor having an inlet-port near the end of the stroke of the piston, an exhaust-port near the center of said stroke, a shaft, a crank having its wrist-pin set oblquely to the axis of the shaft and a connection for transmitting the power from the piston to the crank, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination in an engine, of a cylinder having two exhaust-ports substantially in line transversely of the cylinder, a valve arranged to close one when the otheris opened, a piston working in said cylinder having an exhaust-port registering with one of the ports as it passes in one direction and with the other port on the return stroke, substantially as described.

5. The combination in an engine, of acylinderhavinganinlet-port, two exhaust-ports, and a valve arranged to close one exhaustport when the other is opened, with a piston traveling in said cylinder having a port registering with all three of the ports in the cylinder, substantially as described.

6. The combination in an engine, of a cylinder having an inlet-port, two exhaust-ports substantially in line transversely of the cylinder, and a valve arranged to close one exhaust-port when the other is opened, with a piston traveling in said cylinder, and mechanism for partially rotating the piston to cause aport in said piston to register with all the ports in the cylinder, substantially as described.

7. The combination in a gas-engine, of a cylinder having inlet and outlet ports, with a hollow piston having an electrical contactpoint, and a port connecting with cylinderports, a filler around which the piston travels, and a second contact-point passing through the lter to make contact with the contactpoint of the piston, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this Sth day of August, 1898.

VILLIAM S. SHARPNECK.

Witnesses:

CALEB H. MARSHALL, HIRAM McCULLoUGH. 

